How to check a Pokémon card supplier in Japan

Checks before the first order

Three things: that a business is on the other end, that the stock exists right now, and that they can do it again next month. Every check below tests one of those three.

Shop owners tend to open with permits, a tax number, and how much volume a supplier can hold. Good questions, and they all stand in for the same worry. Worth settling early is what kind of business answered you: distributor is the word buyers type into a search bar, not a job title in this trade. The account replying might be a shop, an exporter, or a middleman buying from the same shops you could reach yourself. Ask which one, and ask them to say it plainly — the answer changes what you should expect on price, on restocks, and on lead time.

• Who they are — a trading name, an address, and one person who answers under their own name.
• What they hold — stock sitting in Japan today, not a catalogue picture of it.
• Whether it repeats — the same list again, on a rhythm you can build a shelf around.

Business documents

Ask for the trading name and address, the licence or registration that applies to the goods and transaction, and an invoice carrying the counterparty details before you discuss price.

Japan's second-hand dealer permit, 古物商許可 (kobutsushō kyoka), applies when a business conducts regulated second-hand goods activity. If that activity is relevant to the stock you are buying, ask whether the permit applies and, where it does, request the number and issuing prefecture. A missing website number is not by itself proof of a problem; the National Police Agency guidance and the issuing prefecture are the sources to check.

• Trading name and address — the same ones that appear on the invoice and on the payment account.
• Applicable permit and issuing authority — ask whether a second-hand dealer permit or another registration applies to this transaction, and request the details where it does.
• A written invoice before payment — item, quantity, JPY price, shipping, and who carries the import charges.
• A tax number for your bookkeeping — ask at the start rather than at year end.
• One named contact — the same person and the same account across every message.

Proof of stock

Ask for a photograph of the exact cards or boxes you are buying, taken for you, before any money moves.

What turns a photo into evidence is that it could only have been taken for you: your name and the date on a slip in the frame, a second angle, counts that match the quote. A screenshot from a marketplace listing proves a card exists somewhere, which was never the question.

This is also where you learn whether you are buying a list or a leftover pile. Ask for the card names before you ask for a discount. If the reply is always a price and a rarity band but never a list, that is how a store ends up with the same card repeated through a lot and the slow sellers its customers already walked past. We build each Bundle to the list you send — Pokémon, era, rarity, budget — check every card in hand, and send the photos before payment.

• A photo taken for you — your name and the date in the frame, not a stock image.
• The card names and counts, not only a rarity band and a price.
• Shrink or no shrink on sealed boxes — Japanese boxes circulate both ways, so two quotes on the same set can be two different products.
• For a higher-value order, request a second angle or a short video.

Repeat supply

Ask how they buy, not only what they have today. A supplier sourcing from the Japanese market week after week can repeat an order; someone clearing a personal collection cannot.

A dated price list helps you prepare a request. Confirm sourcing capacity and dispatch timing directly before paying. For reference, our Box List shows dated JPY reference prices; confirm current price, condition, and availability in the quote. Bundles run 50 or 100 cards a lot in three grades — Starter at ¥50,000 for 50 cards and ¥100,000 for 100, Standard at ¥75,000 and ¥150,000 Exclusive quoted per request. Prices are JPY, tax included, with shipping quoted per destination.

• How they source — buying in the Japanese market on a rhythm, or clearing one pile?
• What a repeat looks like — the same list and lead time, or a fresh negotiation every time?
• What happens when a set sells out — a substitute, a wait, or silence?
• Your want list on file — the second order should start where the first one ended.

Stop conditions

Any answer that takes away your ability to check something.

No single signal below proves fraud. Each one means that a material fact remains unverified. Before payment, also check what recourse the chosen method provides if the parcel does not arrive; coverage differs by method and payment type.

• No trading name and no address — a DM handle is a channel, not a counterparty.
• No photo of your actual stock, or photos that turn up elsewhere online.
• A payment account in a name that does not match the business, or a method swapped at the last step.
• A discount that expires while you are still asking questions.
• A guarantee about what your customs authority will charge — import duty and VAT are decided on your side of the border.
• An authorised distributor claim with nothing behind it — ask what the claim means and who can confirm it.

First-message checklist

Send the five asks below in one message, then judge the reply by how much of it comes back answered, and how fast.

Place a small first order after the document and stock checks. Use it to test the photos, packing, dispatch timing, paperwork, delivery, and discrepancy handling before increasing the amount.

Send the same checklist to Akina through Facebook Messenger. We reply with the products, JPY item price, shipping cost, dispatch timing, payment method, and available carrier. For bundles and graded cards, item photos are sent before payment.

• Your trading name, address, and the permit or registration that applies to this transaction, if any.
• A photo of the exact stock, taken today, with my name and the date in the frame.
• The card names or box titles, with counts and JPY prices.
• Shipping quoted to my country, and confirmation that duties and VAT sit with me.
• What a repeat order in six weeks would look like.

Official references

Checked on 20 August 2026. Rules and service terms can change; verify the current source again on the order date.

• National Police Agency of Japan — Second-hand dealer procedures